1/26/20

Mack – FWIW – Andres Gimenez, Carlos Beltran, Rob Whalen, Yoenis Cespedes, Stephen Cohen




MLB.com posted an article on each team’s top defensive prospect:

            Mets: Andres Gimenez, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 92)

Gimenez was the shortstop on MLB Pipeline’s 2019 All-Defense Team and was in the mix again this year after a strong defensive campaign as Double-A Binghamton’s everyday shortstop. A plus runner who earns similar grades for both his fielding and arm strength, Gimenez committed 11 errors in 112 games last season and has totaled just 25 miscues over the past two years. What’s more, the 21-year-old appears ticketed for a breakout offensive season after winning the 2019 Arizona Fall League batting title (.371).


Fangraphs takes a look at Carlos Beltran’s future in baseball:

Obviously, it’s too soon to know how the industry will receive Beltrán once the dust settles, but on Thursday, he took the first step towards the future by publicly acknowledging his role and apologizing for his actions.


John talked earlier this week about ex-Mets pitcher Rob Whalen’s attempt to get back into organized baseball.

Rob was handled very badly, first by the Mets that traded him to Atlanta, and next by the Braves when they traded him at the end of the 2016 season to Seattle.

Whalen was a highly touted prep prospect that the Mets convinced to sign. They drafted him in the 2012 draft and assigned him to Kingsport. His Mets minor league stat line was:

            2012: Kingsport     1-G                 0.00

            2013: Kingsport     12-starts         1.87

            2014: GCL              3-G                 1.29

                       Sav        11-G, 10-ST          2.01
            
           2015: St. Lucie     15-G, 14-ST       3.36

So what did that earn him? A trade.

Atlanta decided to rush him to the majors in 2016 and the results were disastrous: 6.57.

What did that earn him? A trade.

Whalen never got is head on straight after this, posted a 6-14-ERA in two games for Seattle in 2017, had a horrible year for three different Mariner minor league teams in 2018, and ‘voluntarily retired’ at the end of that year.

Folks, this was another poorly handled prospect that is young enough (25) to be given one more chance, at least at the AA or AAA level.



John sent me the latest video on Yoenis Cespedes effortlessly jogging in Port St. Piazza. My first thought is it was ex-Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. God, if started off looking huge, but now (in the batter box) he looks simply fat. I’m not going to fall for the hype here. He’s 35 and hasn’t played healthy for two years. I can’t in good conscience count on this guy in 2020. And where would I play him?

Brandon Marisnek is our center fielder, Michael Conforto is a fixture in right, and J.D. Davis will play left. Who would I sit here for Cespedes?

Look, if he’s healthy and fit, I’ll work him into some kind of a rotation here. 

Frankly, we are short a full-time outfielder on the roster and I would welcome him back, but I’m not going to count on him.

And please Yo. Leave the antics out of spring camp this time. Forget the horse and different car each day. Come to work driving a Pinto and play baseball.


And lastly…

There has been a lot of chatter this week regarding the status of the Wilpon hand off to Cohen deal. I’m not sure anyone outside their two offices, their lawyers, and the league office know the official status here. I have talked to a number of people about the status here and I walk away believing that this is far from over. In fact, I’m not even sure if an agreement between the two parties has been reached and sent on to the league for approval. So, don’t get carried away when you read that Cohen is pulling strings on a new manager. There are no strings yet, and if there were, it is illegal for Cohen to pull on them until the league approved the deal.

5 comments:

Brian Joura said...

Jake Marisnick was not brought in to be a starting CF. He's a defensive replacement unless the Mets suffer multiple injuries. Brandon Nimmo is the club's CF right now.

Reese Kaplan said...

I agree. Marisnick is not much of a hitter. He's here to replace the Nimmo/Davis defensive liabilities late in the game.

Mike Freire said...

Good Morning, Mack.

Interesting statement from Beltran (i.e. acknowledging his role, apologizing). Lends more credence to the story that he was NOT truthful with Brodie and the Mets during the hiring process, which is sad and a bit disturbing. There is no way he gets hired if he told the Mets "everything" prior to the report getting published.

From my prior experience in my former career, people will lie and do whatever they can get away with. It's not what you did or didn't do, it's what can be proven. If there ends up being proof, then most people just blame something else for their actions (usually). Shame on Carlos for his initial lies and for putting the Mets in a tough spot......at least he came clean in the end.

I think the hype train that Cespedes is currently riding is designed to drum up enough interest to deal him to an AL club so he can DH in his last year. I wouldn't supplant any of the current OF'ers we have to put him in the lineup consistently.

***You didn't mention Nimmo in your article and I think he will platoon with Marsinick, along with some spot starts in the corner OF spots to give the regulars a day off (with that said, there is even less room for Cespedes).

Tom Brennan said...

Marisnick in his career is a slightly better hitter against lefties - hopefully he gets just a handful of starts vs. lefties and that's it. Rest should be defensive switches and pinch running.

TwxasGusCC said...

Mike, Broadie himself said that he never asked Beltran about it. How can that be? You draw your own conclusions. As to whether Broadie was honest with the fans, I’ll never believe that for a second. He’s worse than Alderson was.